Halloween is BIG here too! The couple of weeks before, they were showing in the news different houses that got REALLY into it. Some people it took 2 weeks to put it all together. The kids have a blast going trick or treating.

Like GRACIOUS said, we celebrate pretty much everything the US does. We just have different names for some holidays. Like this month, the 11th we call Remembrance day, you call it Veterans day. July 1st we celebrate Canada Day and July 4th you celebrate Independence day. Our Thanksgiving is celebrated a month earlier than yours, but the type of food prepared is basically the same.

I think it's great that we can learn about each other here. Asking questions is the only way to find out the answers.

Thought I'd sneak in here to say hello. My weight is down about 1/2 pound, however, I haven't been drinking water like I should. I would probably be down even more if I were being faithful with the water. I'd better get busy with that.

I can't stay long as I have to get my 17 y/o DS to the hospital in about an hour. He has surgery today for a pinched nerve in his elbow. Wish I had a computer at the hospital to pass the time while I'm waiting.

I will check back later today. I also plan to vote. Sorry BOB, but I have to cancel out your vote. I hope we keep JEB in office. At least we can agree that SB is a great WOE!

I did my post and hit the submit button and my DSL line was dead. Urghhhh.

Nothing going on here. It is slower today so I am thinking about food. Yesterday was so busy I never even got to eat my snack. I like those kinds of days.

I read something I thought was interesting in Health Mag. It said a study found that exercising 3 times a week had rhe same benefits that Paxil has. I don't take it, but thought it was interesting. I'm always looking for alternatives to meds.

Denise, Hope you are better today. I agree that Marla Runyan is quite the achiever. It just shows what you can do it you put your mind to it.

Toni, I plan to totally eat OP on the cruise. I'm sure the bread won't be 100% ww, but should I have any, then I will just count it as my carbs and go on. As long as I stick to 2 a day I should be fine. Now the drinks are another story.

Monet, how about a sweet potato, some rice, spaghetti?Chicken enchilladas or burritos. Feel better.

Deb, I don't see any way to meet up on the way down. We land in Ft. L at 1:45 and th ship boards starting at 2:00 so I'm sure we will be in a rush. I don't know what time we arrive back on Sunday in relation to the time the flight leaves. If we can back early I could call you. email me your cell #.

Sef, Thanks, makes you think.

Zanne, Yeah for you on the new number onthe scale . Keep up the good work. Tell DH to get back to policing. Cheerios in the yellow box are legal.

Deb, Let's trade weather. It's 40 here. I'm cold. I need to move to Fla. Good for you getting out there in that heat. I voted, but I share your opinion of politics. Half of the people, I have never heard of anyway. I just hate all smear tactics and listening to all the adds forever and ever. Glad it is over today. Have a good day with Eli.

I am so glad election day is finally here. This has been one of the most negative campaigns in our area that I have ever seen, from the governors race down to the local level. I did early voting and from the looks of things they are expecting a record turn-out. Deb, I agree with you that most are worthless, but I always vote just so I can legitimately gripe about the results.

Well, hubby thinks I can't afford to come to Orlando, but I'm still working on him. I think he just doesn't understand the whole concept of meeting a bunch of people that I've met on a message board. We all know how great we all are but to an outsider, sometimes it sounds weird. Deb, I may have to get you to call and talk him into it.

Gotta run now. I've got a seminar today and tomorrow, which means banquet food for lunch, yikes, wish me luck. I am going to Curves tonight though and will probably end up walking with my friend too. We haven't walked in several days due to the weather.

My vertigo is subsiding. Not as severe as the past few days, therefore I am seeing some relief. I took Klonipan and my anti-vert and stayed in bed last night. With my sore throat and all, I felt sorry for myself about 10 p.m. and broke down and had a SF SB icecream shake. A little too late to be eating that!

Toni: Just wanted to clarify that my mom is the "Super Runner". NOT me. She is 63 years old and weighs 115 lbs. I used to run the 5K's with her in South Florida, but the heat and getting up at the crack of dawn...I haven't been to one in awhile. I used to run a 5K between 30 minutes (my best time) to 36 minutes. My mom runs 5K's in about 26 or 27 minutes and always wins first place in her age group. It was always humiliating when she would pass me when we ran together. LOL!

Chicken/Cheese Quesdilla:
On a flat griddle on medium heat, place 1 SGWW tortilla on and warm both sides. On one side of the tortilla, sprinkle shredded cheese, add a little cream cheese, add some strips fo the Louis Rich Shredded/Stripped (pre-cooked) chicken on one side and top off with some salsa. Turn the tortilla over to cover and seal. Keep flipping both sides till cheese has melted. Easy and Very yummy!

Debbie: I don't know how my mom does it either. It's just way too hot for me to do this right now. I am working on the treadmill now until the weather gets cooler. I try and do 3 min walking and 3 min running, 3 and 3 for awhile. I give you and my mom a lot of credit running in the heat. I would like you to meet my mom someday, that would be cool.

Disney trip sounds like fun and I know my mom would really love it if I came to watch you and her run it. Maybe I could drive up with you and some other people. I don't know how many of you are driving up. Would I need to take off work on that Friday? and if so, what time Friday would we leave? Also, do I need to make my own reservations or is one person making the reservations and then we share the cost of the room? I could take off that Friday. therefore count me in for staying in a room on Fri and Sat. Maybe we could split the gas money too if we car pool! I don't know the Disney area too well and I really don't want to drive up alone. I will e-mail you with my phone numbers. I look forward to hearing from you and getting these plans underway. I am very excited! Are you kids going too?

Shirley: I LOVE the motivational quotes and the carrot, egg and coffee story! I think sometimes I'm the egg with the hardened shell as when you go through so many adversities in your life it's hard not to become hardened somewhat..I am working on being the coffee and trying to change things as adversities arise.

Suzanne: I do believe that the Whole Wheat Cheerios are acceptable. Not the regular ones. The sugar content seems okay. Congrats getting down to 166. It's funny we both chose the same avatar, close in age, and same stats. I've been stalled going on about 6 weeks now! But I've been doing a lot of weight lifting. Thanks for always sharing your information about Canada. I was always curious about that stuff and I learn more everyday about your country. I've always wanted to visit Canada and go exploring in the wilderness...

Aleka: It's a great idea to combine WW with SB. Fruits and vegetables are very low points and very low GI. Just stay away from bananas, pineapples, raisans, beets, potatoes, corn and all corn products. Everything else should be low fat. i.e. low fat cheese, lean meats etc. and the points should not be too high.

Serene: Congrats on 1/2 loss! Hope your son's surgery turns out real well and that he is feeling better soon.

Jackie: I looked up my BMI on that site and it shows "27"! My scale at home fluctuates from 36-34. That's a big difference. I wonder if my scale is really that accurate.

JACKK--Thanks about the cheerios. They're on sale this week! Gonna go get some. DH is gonna get a kick from me!

DENISE--Glad you're feeling better. I like seeing what kind of food products you guys have. We don't get the same stuff. I had some of the Deli rye triscuits a couple of years ago and love them. We can't get them here, but funny thing is, the box says they're made in Canada!!! I've been out of province only a few times, but totally out of the country at least a half dozen times. Kinda sad, but it's usually cheaper to fly to an all inclusive somewhere for a week than it is just for airfare within Canada. Someday I'd like to go visit Vancouver--and then continue on to Hawaii! Your recipes sound good and easy.

We may just float away today! Really raining heavt and winds gusting. Constant tornado watches and warnings throughout the area. Arthur doesn't like it!

A good day for soup. Have a turkey carcass simmeering. Will divide it and add brown rice for me, noodles for kids. They aren't fond of turkey rice soup. Rather have noodles. Of course I could save a pot and make ww noodles. Hmmmmmmm, will have to decide.

MONET: Glad you had a better night's sleep. Hope you can pin the doctor in his chair to list. Wise to make a list, so easy to forget questions once you get in the office.

ZANNE: I think we all would like to be the coffee. I know I have to be strong to get through the problems I have faced, although I don't really feel strong at the time, just doing what has to be done.

DEB: It must be the season for computers foul-ups! We have no sound, the scanner isn't taking to us, and it is slow, and we get kicked off.......otherwise it works fine! I love reading the MMs.

LKF: Are those eggs soft or hard boiled? Never thought of refried beans and broccoli!

DENISE: Remember we all are a work in progress, we all keep changing in some way. It's up to us how we change and do it.

Well have to get ready for the PW meeting, at this point would rather stay home. One rainy days like this I like to curl up with a book and cuppa.

I am down to 241, and PROUD of it! hahahaha!!!! I have been eating legal foods - of course, with stress, stress and more stress that I of course bring on myself - I want to cheat, cheat and cheat myself - but have not with the help of my friend Serene!

I have been baking apples and eating them with some no sugar added Breyers Vanilla Ice Cream - yummy!!!!!!

Monet - Get better so you have some energy and good times in Orlando in January!!!!!! And, don't do the dishes!

Sef - That turkey soup sounds rather delicious to me! Perfect for this cooler weather we have had - though today is back up into the high 80s....

BOB at Work That swelling will pass!

All the new names in such a short period of my absence!!! Welcome to all the new people...hope you are enjoying this way of eating!!!

Trish - I see you are enjoying Curves - that is great - how do you feel? You can afford WDW!!!!! Come on down!!!!!

JackK - I hope you have a fantastic time on your cruise!!!! Enjoy it to the fullest!!!!!!

Zanne - Congrats on your weight - along with I am another Brussel Sprout lover - I like to steam them until they are mushy....and I can just eat them alone for a meal as well.

Serene - Hope the surgery goes well, and when he wakes up he is all doped up and as meek as a lamb! hahahaha

Deb - I feel for you and that heat and humidity - sorry we are hogging it all the coolness up in Jax - but soon we will get tired of it and send it your way

sef, I saw you talking about putting noodles in the soup for the kids but rice for yourself and wanted to remind you that the 100% duram wheat semolina noodles are everywhere in the markets these days and actually MORE tasty than regular pasta your kids are used to! Then you wouldn't be preparing two kinds of soup...and FORGET that nasty ww pasta -- I tried that stuff and couldn't stomach it! Jack-K was the one who told me about the semolina and I have a pantry full of it now!

And sef, to answer your question about the eggs I prepare to eat with spinach and black-eyed peas, they are hard boiled...that's just the way I learned to eat them with this dish so that gotta be hard boiled! Ha!

Sabrina, congratulations on the weight loss!!! We are all proud of you!

Jack-K, I found your go-ahead on the Cheerios a little confusing. I've been looking at the ingredients on all the boxed cereals and putting them back on the shelf when I read any of the sugars are in the ingredients. I know the 3-gram rule but thought it best to avoid sugar at every turn when at all possible. The only cereals I've been eating are Uncle Sam, Shredded Wheat, and Kashi. I love Cheerios but thought they had too much sugar-related stuff in them. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

UGH! I drank way, way too much alcohol Sat night and then got the munchies and pigged out! Then yesterday, I did good until about 10 pm and ate several pieces of the kid's Halloween candy. I don't know what has gotten into me! I feel so ashamed and mad at myself. I'm all puffy and bloated today- too scared to step on the scales! I'm trying my best to stay legal today and drink lots of water. Whether it's bad or not, I'll report my weight tomorrow.